analyse
Belgium trembles its way into the round of 16 of the European Championship, while Ukraine is eliminated in the most bitter way possible. However, the Belgians are mainly concerned with two issues surrounding the last group match: the conditions of travel before and the reactions of the fans after the match.
At around 6:25 p.m., many football fans in the Stuttgart district of Bad Cannstatt were very satisfied. Although the group match between Ukraine and Belgium played there was anything but a highlight of the current European Championship at this and later times, the fans of both sides were able to get used to the course of events on early Wednesday evening (June 26, 2024) – at least for a few minutes.
European Championship Group E: Four points are not four points
The reason: the interim result of the parallel match in Group E. In Frankfurt, Slovakia had taken the lead against Romania after just under half an hour, which would have put Ukraine and Belgium in the round of 16. Mind you: would have. Just a short time later, Romania equalized, and in Stuttgart, around 200 kilometers away, satisfaction turned to tension – and later disappointment.
The fact is that the final result of 0:0 only helped the Belgians, but only because they qualified for the knockout round as second in the mathematically cruel situation of Group E. After three match days, all four teams have four points; in addition to Belgium, Romania as group winners and Slovakia have also progressed. Ukraine, on the other hand, have been eliminated due to a worse goal difference.
“We tried to win this game. But we played against one of the best teams, so it was very difficult,” said Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov. “It is very important for our country that we were part of this tournament. We showed our character – and that we are part of Europe.”
Ukraine vs Belgium: disappointment here, relief there
Meanwhile, the Belgians’ faces were full of relief at reaching the round of 16. “We have qualified, that is the most important thing,” said coach Domenico Tedesco. “We knew that the other game could end in a draw. You can’t do much wrong there.”
From Ukraine’s point of view, the elimination is extremely bitter, if only because of the table constellation. Rebrov had sent the youngest starting eleven of all tournament participants onto the field (25.5 years old), and Ukraine also kept a clean sheet for the first time in its 14th European Championship match. A premiere without value.
Much more important is the fact that Rebrov’s team did not score a goal, especially in the final phase, despite having good chances. Artem Dowbyk with a shot that hit the side netting (79th minute), Ruslan Malinovskiy with a cheeky corner kick that curled towards goal (82nd minute) or Georgiy Sudakov’s run in injury time: Ukraine were the better team shortly before the final whistle, and a goal would have been absolutely deserved.
De Bruyne: “We had a tough opponent”
“We had a tough opponent, they played with five men at the back at times,” said Tedesco afterwards. And Belgium’s match winner Kevin De Bruyne also said: “Ukraine is a very good team, they were dangerous. When a team plays 5-3-2, it is difficult to find free space.”
De Bruyne’s words sum up quite well how difficult the Belgians have had it. At the end of an already unconvincing group phase, they trembled their way into the round of 16 against France, where a performance like the one against Ukraine will probably not be enough. Tedesco’s team did not manage to do anything convincing, especially in attack.
The game is too dependent on De Bruyne’s impulses, although the 32-year-old Manchester City superstar was very present from the start and was not even unsettled by laser pointers aimed at him from the stands during free kicks.
Trossard out, Carrasco in – a good change
Otherwise, the Belgians’ attacking game only picked up speed when Yannick Carrasco was substituted in the 73rd minute; up until then, Leandro Trossard was unlucky for a long time. Tedesco’s team was clearly aware of their game plan: take no risks, the main thing was to advance. “We know that we could have performed better,” admitted De Bruyne afterwards. And what’s more: “Our team was not the best Belgian team.”
Tedesco on the journey to the stadium: “Unbelievable”
It will take the Belgians a little more time to analyse the problems on the pitch, but also to come to terms with what happened off it. What particularly annoyed Tedesco was the circumstances of the apparently arduous journey.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “We were escorted here by the police without flashing blue lights, the streets were completely clear, they drove at 20 or 25 kilometers per hour and stopped at every traffic light – before a game like this, unbelievable.” That’s why the Belgians only arrived at the Stuttgart Arena an hour before the game started.
On the other hand, after the 0-0 draw against Ukraine, rifts between the Belgian national team and their own fans became apparent. Instead of exuberant joy at progressing, there were some loud whistles. “We have to accept the whistles, but my players don’t understand them,” said Tedesco. “The fans can be unhappy. But we need them.”
De Bruyne: “… and they kill me”
De Bruyne was also asked about the boos. “I can understand that people want us to win,” explained the midfielder. “But if I play the ball long instead of short at a corner in the last minute and start a counterattack, then I make the wrong decision and they kill me. Sometimes you have to take risks and sometimes you have to be clever.” No one has thought about the mood at 6:25 p.m. for a long time, when both fan groups were still completely satisfied.
